Paludumian Republic
The Holy States or Sancta Foederatae, colloquially known as Ume or Umia, officially Sancta Statum Civitatum per Magnus Templas or the Most Holy States of the Grand Temple of the Faith, is a confederation of states pledging allegiance to the Grand Temple of the Faith (of Aiwa). Its capital, Ume City, is cradled by the Umic plains on the eastern coast of the continent. The rest of the country is spread out across the eastern coast of the Central Continent. Ume was initially established as a military-ruled city-state, but the city's militia eventually let go of control, leaving the city's governance to the people. Anarcho-capitalism arose as land-owning companies used their profits from their territories to help develop the city. Ume abandoned anarcho-capitalism on a state level and replaced it with its current 'elective dictatorship'. Eventually, a cabinet consisting of three members was added. Aiwanism was also made the national religion and philosophy. The democratic form of government was replaced by an autocratic monarchic military dictatorship which bases its governance on moralistic ideals. However, democratic rule was soon re-established in the capital, under the observance of the Imperial government. The unpopular Imperial government was disbanded and replaced with a social contract - that the people of the land are to be jointly responsible for the political fate and economics of the nation. The country briefly returned to being a republic but the rapid rise in the popularity of the Faith of Aiwa caused the country to turn towards theocracy. The pre-eminence of the various governors of the provinces over the national government also saw the provincial leaders terminate their allegiance to the old national government and to the institution of the Grand Temple instead. The government of Paludumia-Thornia dominated the political machinery of the state through much of 2019 and has effectively wrestled control of both government and the Grand Temple away from the College of States. History Ume's history has been divided into eras based on the regimes that ruled the country. There have been a total of six republics, and two autocracies (of which one could be considered a true monarchy). Republic era (early to mid 2016) Direct Democracy (early 2016) The Umic people ruled their capital collectively as an anarchist collective, while their overseas provinces are managed by their own privately-run companies. Two major ventures ran most of the empire - the South Seas Company, and Intelogica. Their territories stretched from the inland regions west of the Ume capital region, and north-to-south along the eastern coast of the continent and the western coast of the landmass on the other side. Elective Dictatorship (early 2016) An elective dictatorship was established to coordinate the efforts of managing the territories of the anarcho-capitalist home province, the public provinces, and the company provinces. Wey Yao, was the first Ezgeriet. The South Seas Company forfeited its easternmost mainland provinces due to the distance. Its western mainland provinces were donated to the state, including Bircalanium (the first Umic settlement outside of Ume City). Oligarchy (early to mid 2016) The government was reorganised to include a cabinet (the Council of Three). The state budget and the Ezgeriet's policies were, for the first time, directed towards improving infrastructure in the capital. This could be seen as the end of the free and unchecked freedom of the city's residents as the government now made direct rulings on how the capital was to be developed. Then-Ezgeriet Clarence founded the Party of the Moderate Left, which later became the Umic People's Socialist Party. The empire was reorganised into 5 regions, of which 4 are directly controlled by the central government based in the capital, while 1 (the Tyavylian Autonomous Region) was given self-government. The name of the country was also drastically shortened. Ezgeriet Andrian was deposed in a bloodless political coup as a result of the Ezgeriet's failure to respond appropriately to a government operation which cost the nation greatly (in terms of resources). Ezgeriet Andrian had the shortest Ezgerietship in the country's history. The new interim Ezgeriet, Clarence, announced a state of emergency and put forward a list of emergency authoritarian laws that became a part of the government's martial law plans (one of which allows the Ezgeriet to sack the un-elected members of the Council of Three). As according to the new laws implemented by the interim Ezgeriet, the residents of Tyavyli were to be officially granted equal citizenship to those living in the capital. The interim Ezgeriet had also suggested the creation of a democratically-elected 'regional Ezgeriet' or 'Ezgerländar' to replace the government-appointed governor, as well as a regional council. Tyavyli's developmental plan (the Ume Declaration) was terminated, as the government now forced Tyavyli's residents to pay the standard tax rate. A radical move made by the interim Ezgeriet was to remove the extra-territorial rights of company-owned lands. This decree could be considered to be the de facto end of free spirit of the nation's anarcho-capitalist beginnings. Just a week after the overthrow of Ezgeriet-emeritus Andrian, the 4th Ezgerietal elections took place. For the first time 2 candidates contested the office of Ezgeriet. Ezgeriet-emeritus Andrian ran in the elections with the promise of a progressive, inclusive (i.e. an all-citizens council in place of the Council of Three) and transparent government, while another Ezgeriet-emeritus, Wey Yao, promised a government that would continue to strengthen the state of national security, the economy, and the question of Tyavyli. Citizens in the Umica Hvustad Ländar mostly supported Wey Yao, while citizens in Tyavyli Autonï Ländar mostly supported Andrian. Wey Yao's victory meant the continuation of the lack of democratic means of electing a regional Ezgerländar for Tyavyli, as Wey Yao instead chose to appoint Jason as the second Uzgerländar of Tyavyli. Brief anti-government protests took place in Tyavyli due to the disappointment over the lack of democratic means of electing a governor. After the elections, Ezgeriet-emeritus Clarence's party, the Party of the Moderate Left, first renamed itself the Umic People's Communist Party, only to change it to the Umic People's Socialist Party shortly after. The party was disbanded. A series of political conflicts across the country led to the Council of Three voting to force Tyavyli to gain independence. Despite protests from Tyavylians, the government urged Tyavylians that independence was for their own good. The vote took place shortly before Tyavyli was supposed to be brought under the tax system, where members of the National Party pointed out that Tyavyli would suffer greatly as the regional already lacks enough resources for its own development. Representative democracy (mid 2016) The members of the Council of Three voted to abolish the council in place of public assemblies. As dedicated civil servants were no longer managing certain sectors of the economy in the name of the government, Ezgeriet Wey Yao decided to privatise a majority of the government (on the urging of the Nationalist Party). The Ezgeriet promulgated that all taxes except the iron tax. Large sectors of the government were privatised - urban planning, land management, road works, water works, redstone research, and energy production. Tthe Nationalist Party (which had shifted from the centre-right to the centre-left) had vowed to renationalise some aspects of public works (mainly road management, the urban planning authority, land management, and water works). The Nationalist Party felt increasingly frustrated by unfair trading, mostly by the Ezgeriet and wealthy citizens. Autocratic era (mid to late 2016) Ezgeriet Wey Yao was overthrown in a military coup by Ezgeriet-emeritus and Chief of the Navy, Clarence. Clarence then declared himself Wzgeriget (Emperor), and began stamping out resistance by force. The Ezgeriet Wey ended his resistance in less than a week. This was the first break of continuous democratic government in Ume. Xandu became the first country to recognise the new Imperial government. As a gift, the Wzgeriget ceded control of the Norder Ländar region to Xandu. The position of Wzgeriget was later renamed to Tzag. The elected position of Ezgeriet was also restored for the city government of Ume City. The Umic Empire was reorganised into numerous prefectures, with Umic citizens gaining both ownership and governance responsibilities over these newly-split territories. The Umic Empire's citizens also participated in the first election for a United Nations Secretary-General - with support split between Ray (Xandu) and Dimithri (Tyavyli). It was at the urging of the Umic Tzag that Dimithri should run for the position in order to improve the conditions in his own country (which was under the rule of Jason the Tyrant) - this eventually lead to the Tyavylian Civil War, which saw the rise of a new democratic government. In this era, Xandunese influence in the region began to grow, with Xandunese architecture creeping into Ume City and Xandunese cultural practices being adopted by the citizens of Ume. Surprisingly good economic and diplomatic relations with Xandu could be seen as the catalyst to this. Xandunese Kebabism religious beliefs began to spread into Ume, with Umians sometimes praying to both Aiwa and Kebabi. Balkanization era (late 2016) The unpopularity of the Imperial government led to, first, the creation of a replacement socialist government which lasted briefly, and secondly, the abolishment of the highest offices of the country, leaving the position of Ezgeriet as the only official government title - but only for the governance of the city. The former Emperor declared his lands to be the basis of a new kingdom - the Kingdom of Öster (Kennigth ef Othaar). Österic dialects began to take ahold as the new language of administration in the region. Öster was disestablished as a kingdom, and became a constituent autonomous territory within the union. Öster became the State of Aeothær. The then-newly-elected Ezgeriet, Wey Yao, granted Aeothær autonomy in fiscal policy. In 5822, the name Aeothær was changed to Aethar, and then to Thornia. The province of Ostland was also made a shared territory between Aethar and the autonomous state under the rule of Shuxian. Reunification (December 2016-June 2019) Ume, Thornia, and Yhuga formed the Association of Umic States shortly before Yhuga’s Umic population decided to migrate back to Ume and cede Yhuga’s territory to Tyavyli. The Associated of Umic States became the Federation of Umic States, and then the State of Ume, as Ume and Thornia believed that reuniting would be positive for economic growth and development. The newly reunited Umic state negotiated a new northern border with Xandu, establishing the ‘Sava Line’ - an arbritary border line running through the middle of the Sava desert in the north. Ume and Xandu also agreed to set the price of a stack of hay bales at 20 iron ingots. Under the sixth republic, almost all executive powers have been stripped off the Ezgeriet (executive powers may only be assumed in times of emergency). The Ezgeriet has instead gained more judiciary powers. The Citizen's Council's reinstatement and its re-assumption of executive powers makes it the first time since the first republic that power has not been held by a single individual or a group of individuals. By late 2016, Ume City became the largest city in the world, overtaking Shanjing. The Umic national economy also grew drastically due to a population boom in Ume City and Thornica. From this point onwards, the server's lore dating system was deprecated in favour of real-world dates. On 3 December 2016, Shuxian was victorious in the second United Nations Secretary-General election, defeating Tyavylian politician Dimithri. She and other Umic elites immediately set in motion secret plans to establish a world government via the United Nations. This conveniently coincided with server-wide frustrations over the nations system. Shuxian appointed her former opponent, Dimithri, as the head of the Agenetmae Games, and appointed all former Umic Ezgeriets to various positions in her new cabinet. Work on a new world capital began on 4 December 2016, with Shuxian and Clarence surveying the spawn plains and laying out the groundwork for a new town. On 16 December 2016, it was announced by the server admins that the nations system was to lose official recognition (but not necessarily invalidated). The United Nations was effectively converted into the Governing Committee. This was later reversed in 2019. The country's ruling elite is discussing reforms to Ume's political system. A revival in the popularity of the Faith of Aiwa and the return of megacorporations has led to public discussions about what the system of government of the country might evolve into with these changes. Some have suggested that the Ezgeriet be replaced by a Rector of the Faith as Head of State since the Citizen's Council and the provinces largely handle internal governance. Theocratic confederation and new empire (June 2019-Present) The unstable sixth republic collapsed as almost all the provinces dropped their recognition of the national government and pledged their allegiance to the Grand Temple of the Faith (of Aiwa). The position of High Priest of Ume City is now considered to be the de facto equivalent to Head of State. The provinces were granted limited sovereignty under a new arrangement with their governments having the right to chose their status within the realm. On 23 July 2019, the (Dark) Realm of Han joined the Holy States as the eigth constituent state. As of August 2019, the position of High Priest has not been filled. This has resulted in a power vacuum which saw the Realm of Han become to dominant power in the southern half of the confederation while Thornia continued, if not increased, its dominance in the north. Efforts to revive Ume City largely evaporated with the founding of The Settlement in the Realm of Han, and the formulation of the Cattle Harbour City plan in Thornia. In November 2019, Thornia transformed into the Paludumia, a mega-state that incorporates Thornia, The Great North, and Plantation Province. Thornia still refers to the original territory that the Paludumians held before the annexation of The Great North and Plantation Province. It is still one of the most economically important regions of the Holy States. The Paludumian government also claimed control of a protectorate junta that would assume control over the whole Holy States while the position of High Priest is formally defined. Economy Ume has the largest economy in the world, with citizens trading goods produced within the country with each other or with foreign buyers. The economy has seen a shift from a government-dominated planned economy to a liberal free market economy as demand began to greatly exceed the government's capacity to produce. Some major industries which have emerged from the country's economic liberalisation include charcoal processing, mining, timber, leather production, and sugarcane farming. New and emerging industries that started in Ume include redstone electronics and healthcare. The construction industry is still dominated by the government, as strict regulations have made it almost impossible for private companies to function without direct government supervision. The private estate system in the Province of Ume is an example of the government's attempt to appease citizens by providing them private land for housing and subsistence agriculture at the expense of public land for urban growth. Thornia, and the confederation, has rapidly industrialised since the founding of Marsh Town and extensive surpluses in mining and agriculture make it a potential source of materials for national infrastructure and the military. The Realm of Han's admission into the confederation introduced the gift economy to the nation for the first time. Thornia has begun looking into opening up its territory to mining and agriculture harvesting by citizens of other constituent states. Infrastructure Most travel between the constituent states is done by the sea. The heavily forested western mainland interior of the country makes it difficult to travel on foot. The idea of an inter-state rail network or highway has been discussed by the Citizens' Council and its successor the College of States on numerous occasions but has not resulted in any concrete plans. The lack of inter-state and international transportation in and out of the country has resulted in the confederation's relative isolation to the rest of the world. Government The institution of the Grand Temple of the Faith (of Aiwa) is the de facto hegemon of the Holy States. The temple is the arbitrator of disputes between constituent states of the realm. The rulers of the constituent states collectively control the Umic Defence Forces whilst the Grand Temple funds it. The de jure head of state is the High Priest of the Grand Temple. The de facto leader of the federation is the [[Thornia#Government and politics|'Defensor Maximi Templi of Paludumia']], who is officially only the head of the Paludumian branch of the Grand Temple. They hold executive power in both the state and the temple. The College of States is the main legislative body of the confederation composed of the rulers of the constituent states, though the drafting and enforcement of laws has been effectively usurped by that of the government in Paludumia. Taxation and Alms The realm currently does not have a general taxation scheme across all constituent states. Instead, the states are granted the right to levy their own taxes and provide alms (donations) to the Grand Temple for the running of the faith, the military, and the welfare system. Through 2016, most government expenditure was funded via taxation (in effect since at least the third republic), but wealthy donors were able to donate more funds if taxes can't cover the budget. Taxes were not fractions of citizens' wealth as the government can not discern whether citizens may have unreported wealth or whether they may have assets overseas. Instead, citizens were taxed at a fixed value (a certain amount of several types of items). Historical systems of government The Directive The country was under the de facto rule of the Council of Three. The Council of Three initially acted as an advisory council to the Ezgeriet, but its members eventually took on a more hands-on role with governance. The council was disbanded after Tyavylian independence, as the public and members of the council felt that the council was only necessary when the unruly Tyavylians were still under Umic rule. The cabinet consisted of three members (one of which was the Ezgeriet) who controlled aspects of Umic government: * Vaalhus (Strength, in modern Umic Vralhus) - de facto head of the military and the de facto manager of the state's finances * Hlyetki (Spirit, in modern Umic Hietki) - de facto Supreme Judge and the head of the state's agricultural activities * Yhteys (Unity, in modern Umic Ketis) - Regional and Colonial Administration; and the de facto manager of the state's infrastructure The Ezgeriets The government of the numerous republics was a fusion of direct democracy and 'benevolent autocracy'. Provinces are largely autonomous and could technically chose whether or not to follow democratic principles. * Head of State - The Ezgeriet was the head of state, chief judge, chief diplomat, head of the federal militia, and the protector of the Aiwanist faith. ** They were elected by citizens. ** The Ezgeriet assumed temporary dictatorial powers if the country is under attack. ** The Ezgeriet only had direct executive power in federal territories with approval from the Citizen's Council and the provincial government. ** They must be consulted if there were disagreements over the interpretation of a law or if the council can not come to a decision. * Governor - Governors had absolute, near-dictatorial, executive power within their provinces. They cannot work outside of the President's authority when it comes to foreign policy. Most executive government functions follow direct democracy: * Citizen's Council - All tax-paying citizens were entitled to call a citizen's council. The council had absolute executive power over Ume proper, but the Federal Council may vote down motions passed by the council. ** Council sessions were chaired by the citizen calling for a Citizen's Council. ** The council had the power to remove a President from power by majority vote. Military Present situation The Holy States does not officially have an organised military. Currently, the individual states have their own militias which coordinate operations with other militias for the overall defense of the confederation. The College of States has discussed the creation of a new military under a separate commander-in-chief from the head of state. The proposed new force (United Army of the Holy States) would also be an entirely voluntary force with the Grand Temple providing a salary to full-time members of the force. Historical military organisation (2016-2019) The Umic Defence Forces (UDF) was responsible for the defence of the entire Umic world, including Ume proper. The head of the Umic Army was the Ezgeriet, whilst the head of the Umic Navy was almost always the (former) Lords of Thornia. The UDF was currently the largest, most-modernised, and most heavily armed military in the world, but it never saw combat. The UDF largely disappeared by the time of the Balkanization era when the Umic Navy split from the UDF to become the Thornian militia. It was mandatory for all citizens to be reserves for the military, with all citizens required to attend basic training. New citizens were required to serve in the military as part of the standing army (full-time membership) until they were deemed acceptable to join civilian life. Member states The confederation currently consists of 5 constituent states - Ume, North Ume, South Ume, Paludumia (which itself occupies two former constituent states), and the Realm of Han. Paludumia dominates the entire northern half of the confederation whilst the other, smaller, states occupy the southern half. The constituent states have two different forms of government: * Province - Constituent state with only partial autonomy from the central government. * Autonomous republic - Autonomous constituent state ruled as a republic (normally a dictatorship). * Feudal monarchy - Autonomous constituent state ruled by a monarch or lord with a feudal caste system governing society. The claims on the Flower Islands, Oster, and Gnokka were dropped in mid-2019 as a result of significant cuts to the defence budget. Regions Constituent states contain one or more regions which are usually defined by a biome or a group of related biomes. As of November 2019, only Paludumia has defined its regions. Districts Districts are currently the lowest administrative division in the administrative hierarchy of the nation. Districts of either a large enough economic significance or population may be led by a Mayor (appointed by the ruler of the state). Largest Settlements Traditional Regions and Prefectures Initially, the Umic Empire was divided into 1 urban region, and 3 frontier/dependent regions. The word 'region' is 'ländar' in the Standard Umic language. The dependent regions were ruled by and from the capital. Eventually, the empire was reorganised into a series of prefectures which functioned more like minor fiefs to the Tzag. Later on, the wealthy land owners of the country began to consolidate their own personal power in their territories as the Imperial government crumbled. Traditional Regions * Ume Capital Region, includes modern Bircalanium. * Eastern Region, now part of the Province and City of Ume's territories in Goruid. * Gnokka Region, jettisoned from the confederation's land claims. Claimed regions were to be under a new category of territories - kravs (claims). Kravs were to be governed by an Uzgekravi (captain). Category:Nation Category:Constituent state Category:Holy States